by Adam Wallace
‘Thank you, Your Majesty,’ Pete said, bowing. ‘Thy kindness shall not be forgotten.’
The King nodded.
‘Thou art brave, Pete McGee. Your love for your mother and friends will take you far along your journey, but in the end it is something else that will see you are victorious.’
Pete was about to ask what the ‘something’ was, but it was too late. The King turned and walked back to the castle, his assistants following. Oh well, Pete thought, he’d figure it out. He always did. This was just like his first journey, where it was the things he discovered along the way that enabled him to triumph in the end.
There was one ‘person’ he needed to consult before taking off on his journey though. He headed off towards his house, his friends by his side. It was time to reopen the Green Book.
Chapter Eleven
Open wide, come inside, it’s the Green Book
Pete McGee sat on his bed with the Green Book in his lap. It was dark in his room, as the spell Syra Tanooth had cast still remained over the town. Pete lit a candle and shut the window to block out the breeze.
Pete’s friends were in the kitchen. He had told them he needed some time alone. It felt like so long ago that he had sat with his mother and Ashlyn and opened the Green Book for the first time. In a way it hadn’t been that long, only around three years, but so much had happened since then; Pete felt as though he had lived a lifetime.
And now here he was once more. On his first journey, the Green Book had proven itself both a help and a hindrance, and Pete was wary about opening it again. He knew the Green Book would present challenges he may not want to face.
In the end though, he thought to himself, that was what often helped him make the right decisions. A knight must face challenges others shy away from, and he must rise to those challenges no matter the odds.
And so he opened the Green Book.
It yawned.
‘Nice kitty … I mean, what? Who? Oh, young McGee, ahem, yes, ah I was just having the loveliest dream. Ahem. Sorry, I haven’t spoken in a while. About three years, would you say?’
Pete smiled in spite of the stressful situation he was in. The Green Book always tried to get some sympathy for not being read.
‘It has been three years, almost to the day,’ Pete replied. ‘And now I am in need of your help once more. It is time that you and your brilliant skills were put to use.’
It was pretty dodgy flattery, but it worked. Pete could almost feel the Green Book puff out its chest.
‘Yes, my skills are being wasted while I sit on that shelf. It is so dusty and the other books are so boring. You can’t have a conversation with any of them; they just sit there. Even if they could speak I don’t know that they would say anything of interest to me.’
Pete couldn’t wait any longer.
‘Mum’s been kidnapped,’ he blurted out. ‘Marloynne too. Some guy and his pet blob have taken them to … I don’t know where. I have to save them. But I have to find out more about the kidnappers first. I have to know what I’m up against.’
The Green Book stroked its beard, thoughtfully … well, as in it would have if it had a beard. Or a chin. Or arms.
‘Hmmmmm, blob you say? And tell me about this other person. Did he have a name?’
Pete nodded.
‘He said he is the Darkness Master, and then he made the sky black out. His actual name was Sore Tooth or something, I don’t know, I didn’t quite catch it. But Master of Darkness, that was what he said, for sure.’
‘I see,’ the book replied. ‘And this blob? What do you know about this one?’
Pete shrugged.
‘Nothing really. He was wearing some bizarre outfit. It looked like a sheet and had flowers drawn all over it. It was really average. But the blob just sort of slid and slimed along the ground. I don’t know anything else about it. What can you tell me? Who are they and where are they?’
‘The blob first,’ the book said. ‘Turn to page number 452. If it is this one, we have much to fear.’
Pete flicked through the pages until he arrived at page 542. Then he realised he had meant to go to page 452, so he flicked back until he got there. He scanned the page, and his heart dropped as he read the evil stories about the blob. He read about the banishment. He was, all at once, scared out of his mind yet more determined than ever. He would not let the fear rule him. He stood up.
‘It is truly an evil beast,’ he said. ‘And yet, ’tis merely an obstacle in my way. My mother shall be saved. I shall not let her suffer at the, well, at the—it doesn’t have hands—at the, umm, at the, okay, so, it will not harm her! Tell me now, Book, tell me about the other one, the Master of Darkness.’
The book seemed to hesitate. It ummmed and ahhhed for a second, but gave Pete nothing.
‘Book! Tell me! I must know what I face.’
‘Look, Pete McGee. You are a brave young man. No matter what I tell you of this Darkness Master, it shall be up to you in the end. You must find your own way to defeat him. You must look deep within yourself and it must be you who devises a way to emerge victorious.’
‘You don’t know who he is, do you?’
‘Not a clue. Never heard of him.’
Pete sighed and sat on the bed again. Sometimes, no matter how much he believed in himself, it felt as though he would not be able to overcome the obstacles placed in his path. The first one on this quest seemed to be the biggest. He had no idea where he was even supposed to look for his mother.
He turned to the book.
‘You have nothing?’
‘Nope.’
‘Not one thing on this guy? Seriously?’
‘I kid you not. He’s a mystery—come out of nowhere.’
‘Right. Okay. Well, what about the blob? You say it was banished. Where was it banished to?’
‘Ahh yes, that I know,’ the book said. ‘Flip to the index, look up banishment. Or blob. One of the two.’
Pete turned to the index and found Banishment: page 600. He flipped to that page and saw it listed the names and addresses of all creatures and people that had been banished. The amazing thing about the magic Green Book was that it continually updated itself. Just the fact there was a page 600 was amazing. There hadn’t been nearly that many pages when Pete had first looked at it. The other thing was that on the banishment page, Pete McGee saw his own name, a result of being banished from the kingdom with Sir Mountable the year before.
‘The blob, young McGee. That is your focus now.’
‘Right, yes, of course.’
Pete quickly found Evil Blob: Cave under the ground and the directions on how to get there. He closed the book. The cave was where they would start. Suddenly, he noticed a stifled mumbling coming from inside the book. He opened it.
‘Thank you!’ the Green Book said in a huff. ‘Now, I must ask something of you, something very serious … pretty please take me on this journey! You didn’t take me the first time. Last time you didn’t even consult me! Please take me this time. I’ll be really helpful, and I won’t speak at all, I promise. Well, I won’t speak much. I might throw a few ideas out there. Just take me pleeeeeease!’
Pete thought for a minute. On his first journey, it seemed as though the Green Book was going to use Pete for its own gain. This time though, Pete felt as though he may need extra help because he was starting out blind. So he agreed to take the book along.
‘Oh happy happy joy joy!’ the book cried. ‘I’m going on a journey, swish, swish. It’s going to be a good one, yay yay!’
Pete slammed the book shut before it violated any copyright laws, hooked it under his arm, and walked out to tell his friends what he had learned.
Chapter Twelve
Blob the builder
Bob the blob released Marloynne and Mrs McGee once they were back at Syra Tanooth’s house. Syra would actually have liked to call it a cave of darkness, or an evil lair, but the truth was that it was actually quite a nice place, and with a little effort could fetch
a good price on the open market.
Bob dropped Mrs McGee and Marloynne in the spare room and Syra quickly tied them up. He looked at his captives for the first time. He was a little confused.
‘I have to say, young man. You are quite a handsome fellow. Why were you marrying such an old lady? Did she say you could use her seniors card? Are you an expert at making boiled lollies? Do you like fruit cake?’
Marloynne didn’t catch on to what was happening, so he stared blankly. Mrs McGee realised that their captor thought he was getting a bride and groom. She was actually quite chuffed at that, that he thought she could capture a younger man, and also that her dress was of wedding standard. Syra continued.
‘I mean, come on. She’s about thirty years older than you. Choose someone your own age. Seriously, my friend, she is old! Did you meet her at a bake sale? Did you pick up her false teeth when they fell out?’
Mrs McGee was a little less chuffed now. Marloynne finally realised what was happening. He went to argue but Mrs McGee gave him a swift kick.
‘OW!’ cried Marloynne.
‘Ow?’ Syra repeated, not having seen the kick.
Mrs McGee gave Marloynne a look that said just keep quiet until we work out how to use this to our advantage. (I know, a very expressive look huh?) Marloynne glanced back at Syra.
‘Yes … ow. As in, ’ow did you know that was where we met? It was at a bake sale. Our eyes met over some carrot cake.’
‘I knew it. Did she hobble over with her walking frame?’
‘She did. I gave her a tin of mashed corn and we were in love.’
Mrs McGee rolled her eyes and was tempted to kick Marloynne again, just to put him in his place. Syra laughed and laughed and then became serious.
‘By the way,’ he said, ‘do not even attempt to think of escaping. It is too dark, and Bob, my evil sidekick, is slowly regaining his mind-reading powers. That is correct. Mind-reading. At the moment he can only read the mind of a turnip, and a turnip does not think much at all. But soon he will have his powers back. Then he will know of any plans you are making.’
He shut the door and left, leaving his captives in total darkness.
‘This is crazy,’ Marloynne said to Mrs McGee. ‘No offense, but why would he think we’re married?’
‘I don’t know, Marloynne, but we must let him believe this until either Pete saves us or we escape.’
‘That’s another thing,’ Marloynne moaned. ‘This is the second time I’ve been kidnapped and am going to have Pete rescue me. It’s crazy. I should be the tough one. He will not let me forget this!’
Mrs McGee smiled. Marloynne had become like a son to her, and it was time for some comforting, motherly words.
‘You useless piece of good-for-nothing! Can’t you ever stand up for yourself and not be captured? Pete is only fifteen for crying out loud, and he has to save you?’
(Ha ha, just kidding, that wasn’t what she said at all, I just wanted to shock you. Here’s what she really said …)
‘Marloynne, it is through no fault of your own that you were captured. It seems that you and I are being used to entice Pete to a showdown. It also seems I was not the one they planned on capturing. However, if they think I am the one that you were about to marry, we have an advantage already. In the meantime, we must make the most of our situation and help Pete any way we can.’
Marloynne nodded.
‘You’re right. You’re absolutely right. We’ll soften these blobs up so that when Pete gets here to save us he will rip through them like nothing else. Brilliant. Brilliant.’
Mrs McGee smiled again. If only she felt as confident as her words had sounded. On Pete’s other journeys he had the element of surprise. This time someone was specifically out to get him. She feared this might be his toughest test yet. She decided to change the subject.
‘The wedding was disrupted, Marloynne. How do you think Ashlyn will be faring?’
Marloynne stroked his chin, which was still in the process of growing a wispy beard (and had been since Pete had turned fourteen).
‘I’ve tried to avoid thinking about it,’ he said. ‘She will be going off her head.’
Ashlyn stared at Pete. He hadn’t planned to, but he had just given a very emotional speech on why she shouldn’t come along. He finished with a flourish then sat in the chair next to her. She continued to stare at him without saying a word. The stare said enough. It was an are-you-serious-do-you-really-think-I-won’t-be-coming-on-this-quest-to-save-Marloynne-and-have-a-nice-chat-to-this-darkness-guy-who-ruined-my-wedding? stare. Pete didn’t read all that into it, but he knew that, once again, he felt sorry for Syra Tanooth, and that he also felt a little scared for himself at the thought of what Ashlyn would do to him if he didn’t let her come. So he totally ignored all his own arguments and stood up.
‘Okay then,’ he said. ‘Nothing left to do here. Shall we go?’
Pete held out his arm. Ashlyn ignored it and walked towards the front door without a word.
The two walked out of the house and into the front yard. Molloy, Smithers, and Tahnee were waiting by the fence. Tahnee was standing tall and as usual she took Pete’s breath away. She looked even more amazing now, ready for an adventure, determination written all over her face. Molloy and Smithers were saying something to each other. Pete couldn’t hear what it was, but he guessed it wasn’t too complimentary. He hoped the two would work out their differences before the end of the journey. It would be important for them all to work as a team. And besides, they were his two best friends; he wanted them to get along.
Pete walked over to Tahnee, who smiled at him.
‘It’s going to be okay, Pete,’ she said softly. ‘We’ll get your mum back. Marloynne too. It’s going to be okay.’
Pete knew she was saying the words to comfort herself as much as him, but it worked. He felt better at hearing them, and he was ready to go. He looked each of his friends in the eye, one by one. He reached the end of the line. The last eyes he looked into were Lightning’s, and those eyes were saying something like, ‘You said you would never leave without me. Well? What’s the story?’
Pete walked over and led Lightning back into his pen.
‘I am so sorry, Lightning. You are the noblest of noble steeds, but this journey is one we must take on foot. You must stay here and watch the house.’
That sounded pretty boring to Lightning, but he trusted Pete, so he trotted to the edge of the pen and stood staring at the house. Pete stifled a laugh and walked back over to the others.
‘Ready?’ he asked.
They all nodded. Pete nodded in return. Despite the fact he had a nagging fear he was leading those he loved into danger, he knew that if he was going into battle, there were no other people he would rather trust with his life. He walked past them and they fell into step behind him. Sir Pete McGee, the brave and noble knight, was going to save his mother.
‘By gum, Syra, I am getting rather tired. I don’t have hands, you know, so using this hammer is quite difficult.’
Syra rolled his eyes.
‘Bob,’ he said, as nicely as he could. ‘If we are to be an evil duo, we must have more than an en suite to hold our captives in. We must build a cell so terrible they will never escape it.’
‘I know this to be true,’ Bob replied. ‘It’s just that I have a better way of doing it.’
Syra raised his eyebrows. Bob nodded his blobby head.
‘Yes, by Jove, watch this. It is a cracking little trick I learned when I was banished to my cave of hell.’
With that Bob muttered a few words, a couple of incantations, some spells, a few curses, and with a mighty flash of light there appeared, in the living room of the house, a cell that would keep the most inventive of prisoners captive. It even had sharks swimming underneath a glass floor! Syra was impressed.
‘My goodness, Bob, how did you do that?’
‘I really dislike building,’ Bob said. ‘I always get this annoying song in my head: “Blobby builder,
can I build it? Blobby builder, YES I CAN!” Or something like that anyway. I have no jolly idea where it came from, but I cannot remove it from my mind once it starts. So this was much easier and much, much more fun.’
‘Yes it is, it is indeed,’ Syra cried. ‘Now, retrieve the prisoners and let us introduce them to their new sleeping quarters. You might need to help the old lady walk—she doesn’t have her frame. By the way, those sharks in there won’t eat them will they? We need these two to lure McGee.’
Bob laughed a blobby laugh that made his blobbiness wobble.
‘Good golly gosh no. They are merely illusions, changeable images. The prisoners will never suspect it. The real sharks are under your bed.’
‘I love it! Let us capture our already captured captives and move them to their new cell!’
They walked out of the room to where the prisoners waited. As they left, something Bob said suddenly clicked with Syra.
‘Under my what?!’
Chapter Thirteen
Worst … deadliest … test … ever
Syra Tanooth watched Pete McGee’s group through his crystal ball. They were coming to rescue his captives. He did not want it to come to that. He hoped to defeat Pete McGee well before it came to a showdown. He turned to Bob.
‘It is time, Blobble Head. Time for them all to die or at least be very scared and maybe cry like little babies. Release the first challenge!’
‘Are you sure, Syra?’ Bob asked. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Yes!’ Syra cried, jumping up and down on the spot, looking like he needed to go to the toilet. ‘These are the creatures of nightmares. These are the creatures that nightmares have nightmares about. The teeth. The claws. The eyes! Release them!’